Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-04-15
ed and enlightened Thinking in the

sometimes tried to express the emo.
tions that surged and swelled within
his breast; but each attempt met with
painful and humiliating rebnffs. He
brooded over this difference between
himself and his mates until he came to
regard it as a weakness, something
to be ashamed of, and thus he came to
avoid human society more and more.
So he grew up a solitary outcast, pass
ing often whole days upon the mount
aims without the sight OF human face.
Alone with nature. his great mother
speedily comforted him She smiled
| upon him from the heavens, caressed
him with gentle breezes. and crooned Il
lullaby over him AZ he lay outstretched
upon her broad bosom; for him, and
for him alone, did she array herself in
the most delicate colors, for him she
| displayed those tragedies of the tirma-
ment- What canvas could equal that
expanse OF opalescent slS when the sun
| sank down in cloudless splendor!
Gould the skill of any painter hope to
initiate those splendid bursts of color,
when the king Of day rose over the dis
| tant mountain tops with royal smile?
1AioSs AAO" Jul CJCS ACA
thousand dollars for feeble imitation,
but nothing for the great original!
What wonder that his vague day
| dreams and fancies should find some
nucleus about which to collect! You
would hardly have considered plump.
placid Mirandy Meeks poets love; and
| yet on this so slender foundation of
bright eyes, rosy checks, and placidity.
| his glowing imagination erected vast,
aerial superstructure of imaginary
qualities. Surely never did ancient
knight endow his lady-love. his ac-
quaintance with whom extended no
further than a glimpse Of her through
window with more extrayagant graces
OF mind and beauties Of body than Min
ton thought he perceived in this girl.
What a subjective thing is love.
When adipose tissue collects on the
body beyond certain point, il seems
| to permeate the disposition. MirMdy
was just in this stage of amiab;lty, and
when her lover poured forth his long
pent-up emotions, she looked ut him
with smile which arose from the per-
feet circulation of blood, perfect health,
and a wholesome development of body
and physical powers which give tone,
color, and expression to corporal happi-
ness. But he misinterpreted it, aud his
eager heart leaped up at the thought
that he had found friend.
The life of seclusion and of plant like
Inconsistencies which he had been
leading was now broken in upon. and
he returned to the society of his fellow
| creatures with a sensat OH as of q dull
constant pain. His JOY over this new
| found sympathy was OF short duration,
| for Mirandy's father swore with much
energy that The wouldn't low no such
! no count tr,hin' Teller as him han GIN
round his darter."
In that primative state of soc: ETY.,
there was not that division of labor
which exists among the moro civilized.
Mirandy's father, who in ordinary life
fulfilled the functions of agriculturist,
manufacturer, architect, and on occa-
| sion even that of priest, now threaten
| ed to play the part of Judge. jury, and
| executioner, and glanced significantly
! at the long rifle in its brackets. She
told Minton Of the paternal opposition,
| with her usual serenity of mind appar-
emily not in the least disturbed.
In the mood of despair, occasioned by
this. he had gone down to the circus;
| and when the professor extended his
invitation, in tone of bravado, to the
surprise of all, Minton stepped forward
with the wild hope Of getting away!
| away!
When Minton returned partly to con-
seriousness, he hardly knew at first
! whether he were still in the body or
not.
He was enveloped in sea of roseate
etfulgence, and on either side of him
! rose vast mountain-like masses tinged
with the same hue. They had none of
the steep, jagged precipitousness which
lends a savage air to mountain scenery.
He appeared to be settling down slowly
into a valley. Gradually the rosy hue
| faded out and the masses became a
pure dazzling white. Vague, mobile
faces drIfted past him; they regarded
him compassionately with eyes of
deepest blue, and then with odd, grotes-
| que changes of countenance, they
went on by. The face of beautiful
woman, with long locks and a sinuous
robe trailing far out behind her, passed
by; she seemed to bend over nlna with
pity, AID he stretched out his hands inn
ploringly; but she averted her face and
left him. Then came the face of a
| venerable old man. with flowing beard
as of the finest fleece, who responded
to Minton's appeal only by hideous
! contortion of countenance.
Above him. he could hear strange,
soft murmur, the signing of the wind
through the cordage, which rose and
fell in Wild, mournful cadences, which
he took to be the voices of the spirits.
He lay in a sort of trance; all sense of
time and all memory of his past life
were completely lost. An unwonted
feeling of perfect peace took possession
of his soul. This must be heaven"
he thought.
| The balloon sank lower and lower,
and everything became hazy and damp.
Suddenly, the meaning of this change
burst upon his mind: he had sunk be-
low the clouds: he was returning to
the earth! With the energy of despair
he struggled to his feet, and, in spite
OF the warning blood upon the floor,
cast out his hat and coat, the barcme-
ter, and anchor. The balloon rose
sluggishly through the clouds, and for
one supreme moment he obtained a
view of that celestial mountain range
SO transcendently pure and majestic as
to be fit for the throne of God. Then
he perceived that he was slowly gravi,
tating earthward again; with cry OF
anguish he fell upon the floor of the
car, unconscious.
When he again regained conscious.
ness, he was laying upon the ground
and some one was bending over him.